Pickup arm



Sept 1s 19 Filed Dec' ,7 1948 PICKUP ARM 3 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 18, 1951 J. E. vlsTAlN, JR

PICKUP ARMv l15 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 7, 1948 f` w LOS INVENTOR. ffmglgwwam sept'. 18, 1951 J. E. vlsrAlN, JR

PICKUP ARM 3 Sheets-Shee :3

Filed Dec. '7, 1948 Patented Sept. 18, 1951 ...James-E. Vistain, Jr., Chicago, Ill., ass'ignor to A Admiral Corporation, hicago, Ill.,..a` corpora- Ltion of Delaware I .Application December '7, 1948,1Seral No.f'64,020

:invention relates toL phonograph ,pickup apparatus, and particularly to a pickup arm capable of reproducing two classesv of records, thefrespective'classesdiifering from each other principally in the size and lpitch of their sound grooves and the speed atA which -they are commonly rotated when reproduced; additionally, the invention comprehends novel control means vin connection with the pickup rarm, by which it maybe alternately v.adapted for operative engagement with .the twoclasses of records.

Although no difficulty is' experienced; in playing, lay-*equipment of known construction, conventionalphonographrecords, i. e., records which arefrot'ated -at a speed .of 78.26 VR. P. M. while eng-agedfby-a needle having' a radius at the tip thereoffof .003 or .0O4sofan'inch1when the needle is pressed against the records with a pressure of from 20 to 30 grams, vitis impossible with this equipment togplay records of theslow-speed long-,playing variety. For instance, there are no won the market ne; groove records known to the trade as micro-groove records, which can be `reproduced eifectively only by a .needle having at the point thereof a radius of about .001 of. anxinch. vThe needle is Aheld in engagement with the soundgroovev with a pressureof 5 or 6 grams, while the records are rotated ata speed of ,3311/3 R. P. M. Nor is it vpossible to play a conventional sound grooved record properly with a needle adapted for engagement with a. micro- -groove record. Therefore, iniorder that a record player Amay be used for reproduction of both kinds of records, record players have been made with 'two pickup arms, one adapted to engage microgroove recordsandtthe other pickup arm adapted to engage `the conventional records.

v1o claims. (Crm-asl off course, involves duplicate parts thereby radding'to the cost of manufacture of the record player.

mllyrny present :invention Ir am able to play both conventional and microgroove records by .the-'agency of butfone pickup arm. I therefore derive .theadvantage oftwo'pickup arms `to- -getherfwith the simplicity of operation of a a, .nezgroove, long .playingI or microgroove record 1which-:isadapted to be played while rotated Vat a speed of 331/3 R. P; The other ofthe two needlesisadapted to'eng'age coarse groovedvfor ordinary records adapted to be played While .irotated-.atva speedof- `'18.26 R. P. M.- and which will be referred to hereinafter as a conventional record. .The .tips of. the-:needles V.extend for substantially the -same distance from/the `transducer which. is Y-movably-coupled to thetpicku-p arm and rthereby the needles are adapted torbe extended alternately to a position in whicheach is-adapted Iizo-engagea record. Additionally, the invention vinvolves aV simple control by the operationl of `Vwhich the needles are ksii-nultaneously moved inopposite/direetions for extension of the needle appropriateffor the Vclass of record nto befengagedithereby:while.at the same time .that the needles-are Vthusmovedthe center of gravity of thepick-up arm is :also shifted with` respect to its Yhorizontal -pivotal aXis'sov-,that the vpressure of .the= needle, dueto-gravity, on a record-is in accordancewith theA requirements of '-the Irecord tube-playedby the Vneedle so extended.

Other advantages of the invention will-fbefapparent from the following- `speciicationwhen considered -inconjunction Awith the accompanyingfdrawingsin-which: Y

Fig.` 1 is a'view-ofthe `invention in side 'elevation, parts of the `.mechanism being broken laway `tovreveal-tl're structure ofunderlying parts;

`Fig.. Y2 is-another `View corresponding to Fig. `1, Iparts.-being'in. another position;

.Fig.. Sis :af top plan" view of `a second embodiment of thel pickup arm.' the top wall thereof beingbroken away -.to'reveal the structure of other mechanism;`

Fig-.4 i-s aside-view'of'the second embodiment of thepi'ckup 'armone ofthe side walls of which is` broken away'- .to reveal other mechanism as view-ed'in-elevation; l

Fig. 5 'is alviewvsimilar izo-Fig. 4, showing va third'embodiment-of my invention; and

Figs. 6 Yand A 7-are detailedT side views showing the v:application lof'counterweight levers 'towmy 'thirdwembodiment i f -In `1-.ig.`t1',\wherein for the'purpose of illustration, is shown r`the-.first embodimentV of the invention, Vthe referenceicharacterll is used to denote a frame vor"hou'sing.-for a phonographV record player "on whichris rotatably mounted aconven- `tionalturntable(i -overwhich a pickup' arm 'l is adapted -to-swing. `Supportr for the arm 1 includes -afpede'stal f8; fixed Yto the frame 4 in any suitable'manner; in which is journalleda verticaltubular shaft-:9. `The 'shafti 9- carries; at-'the .top thereof, acallarvr Il which, due toits v'bearing relationship with the pedestal 8 or with a washer I2 between the pedestal and collar, is adapted to resist downward displacement of shaft 9. The collar Il includes bifurcated means including a pair of arms I3 extending upwardly, between which a mobile bracket I 4 is supported on the upper end of a lift rod I6 slidably journalled in the tubular shaft 9. Threaded in the free end of bracket I4 is an adjustment screw I1 adapted to engage the under side of the pickup arm and which may be maintained in its position oi.' adjustment with respect to the bracket I4 by a compression spring I8 between said bracket and a head I9 of the screw I1.

The pickup arm 1 is tiltably journalled on the arms I3 by means .of a pin 22 which extends through the arms and through ears 2I which extend downwardly from the inner surface of the pickup arm. The arm is therefore adapted to be rocked about a horizontal axis by vertical movement of the lift rod I6. Y Means to manipulate the pickup arm automatically comprises, in addition to the lift rod, a lift cam 23 including a dwell portion 24 against which the lift rod I6 rests while a record is being reproduced. When the record is rejected, however, the cam 23 is slid horizontally to the right under the lift rod which is thereby moved axially upward. Concurrently, the screw I1, engaging the pickup arm, swings said arm about the pin 22 and out of engagement with a record on the turntable 6. Also an arm 26, secured to the lower end of shaft 9, may also be moved by means, not shown, to swing the pickup arm about a vertical axis provided by the shaft 9. l Control means is provided for extending one of the needles and concurrently retracting the other of the needles. Said means also provides for concurrently shifting the center of gravity of the pickup arm with respect to its horizontal pivotal axis; that is, the axis provided by the pin 22 as one of the needles is extended or retracted.V Y In order that the foregoing operations may be realized I provide a transducer 21 having a needle 28 adapted for playing conventional grooved records and a needle 29 adapted for playing microgrooved records. The transducer is provided with a pintle 3| on opposite sides thereof. The

pintles are pivotally supported in any suitable manner from the pickup arm such as by a pair of fingers 32 thereon in which the pintles are journalled. To govern the position of the needles 28 and 29 I provide a slider mechanism 33. It comprises a rigid and preferably flat rod 34. to Vone end of which a resilient member, preferably taking the form of a leaf spring 36. is rigidly attacbed while at the opposite end thereof the rod bears a handle 31 by which the slider mechanism is adapted to be moved with respect to the pickup arm. The slider mechanism is slidably anchored to the pickup arm by means including a pair of spaced-apart shouldered rivets 38 carried by the pickup arm 1. Both of the rivets 38 are received within a slot 39 inthe rod 34, the mobility of the mechanism 33 being thereby limited.

The spring 36 is constantly deected by engagement with the transducer 21. In the course of its motion, by manually moving the handle 31, the point of engagement of spring 36 with the transducer is shifted through and beyond a region between the fingers 32 beyond which the spring pressure causes the transducer to rock about pin 3I to an extent limited by the pickup arm as will be noted (Figs. 1 and 2). In bothv of these eX- 4 treme positions the force of spring 38 is adequate, without further deection thereof, to retain transducer 21 in either of its extreme positions while the pickup arm is supported by a record of either class. Furthermore, spring 36 is adapted to provide cushioning means for the Weight of the pickup arm while la record is being played.V

The handle 31 is sufficiently heavy to play the role of a counterweight to such an extent that when it is moved to the extreme left (Fig. 1) ac- I- tance from pin 22 that needle 28 is pressed against a record with a pressure of the order of 1G or 20 grams. When, however, the handle 31 is shifted to the extreme right, the needle 28 being then retracted and needle 29 extended, then the center of gravity is. shifted "toward a point suiciently close to the pin 22 that needle 29 engages a record with a pressure of approximately 5 or Ggrams.

While I have shown, in Figs. 1 and 2, speoiiic`A mechanism for carrying out my idea I may also use other mechanism as indicated in the modiiication depicted in Figs. 3 and 4. Therein, a pickup arm 4I as shown supported by the same mechanism indicated in Figsl and 2. A slider mechanism 42 is slidably anchored to the inner side of the pickup arm by a headed stud 43, the stud being fixed to the pickup arm and slidably received in a slot 44 in a substantially rigid rod 46 of the slider mechanism. At one end thereof, the rod 46 bears downwardly extendingv ears 4'I to which a pair of 1inks'48 are pivotally attached by a pin 49. Adjacent the outer end of the pickup arm 4I `is pivoted a controllever 5Iby means of a pin 52 the ends of which' are supported by the pickup arm. An additional pin 53 passes-through the lower end of the control lever 5I to pivotally couple the same to the links 48 while by means of a handle 54A, suitably yattached to the upper end thereof, the lever may be swung about pivot 52 to move the slider mechanism between either of its two extreme positions. The handle 54, however, is of substantial weight so that the center of gravity ofthe pickup arm is shifted as the handleis moved from its position indicated by broken lines.V The remaining end of rod 46 bears a leaf spring 56, one end of which constantly presses downwardly against a transducer 51. The transducer 51 is'rockably supported from the inner end of pickup arm 4I by a. spider 58, downwardly extending arms 59fof which embrace opposed sides of the transducer which is pivotally secured to the arms by pintles 6I projecting outwardly therefrom and through said arms. Additionally, the spider 58 may include longitudinally extending arms B2 to limit rockingof the transducer 51 about its axis provided by the pintles 6l. v

The transducer 51 carries a stylus 63 adapted to engage standard grooved records and a stylus 64, adapted to engage microgroove records. In order that the needle 64 may engage a record, and needle 63 be concurrently retracted, counterweight 54 is swung about pin 52 from its full line to its broken line position, thereby also lessenng the pressure of engagement of the record by the needle 64.

While the arrangement of the needles 63 and B4 is the reverse of needles 28 and 29, i. e., the position of the ne groove and coarse groove needles with respect to the Ainner extremity of `thepickup arm, 1I falso contemplate-'thepossiffbility of no reversal of the needles which iwold follow -pivoting -to-.zthe Lpickup 'a-rm lthe'lever-iiI at the lower end thereof and pivotally attachingth'e llink f4-8 -to thel'ever at a point thereon between the handle y54 and axis about which lever l is adaptedfto swing.

1 f E it; is `also -.conceived :that the .relative'lmotion between the leaf spring 36 and .the .transducer 21 be obtained by-movingthepickup-arm while holding the slider. In this embodiment (Fig. the `vsliiler 65 is similar totha-t of Fig. ept t it vis sgmewhat-longer 'andic'arries which, are Ajournalied-onv thefpin g ifore. The slideralso'still-carriesthe le d6-and is slidably*fastenedftothe pip Y b the secondf'embodiment describe ibQYe- 'The -pickup arm/also -oar'ries transdncer-61 ich is exactly the same va he; transdpcer'll -Figs. fand-'2. vStops-62 A'forfpositiiqnng ensduer, mayV aiswbeprovided; and. '.thle: arm *may "carry" a counterweight-68.

In this embodiment, the arm itself carrying the transducer is moved and shifts the counterweight toward or away from the pivot point. Additionally, the transducer 61 is moved and under the iniluence of the leaf spring 56 is rocked, thereby alternately positioning the needles for engagement with the different classes of records. By proper proportioning of the slot, it will be noted, as shown by the dashed lines of Fig. 5, that it is possible to move the transducer so that either needle will engage the corresponding type record at the same distance from the pivot point for lateral movement of the arm, thus minimizing tracking error on the record. It will be lreadily understood by those skilled in the art that this embodiment is adaptable to be moved by a lever arrangement similar to my second embodiment. The two arrangements of levers for this embodiment are best shown in Figs. 6 and '7. Fig. 6 shows the lever 69 pivoted to the arm at one end 'l0 and to a link 'H at its mid portion. The link is pivoted to theV slider as in the previous embodiment. The counterweight 12 is carried at the other end of the lever 69 as before to shift the center of gravity of the arm. The lever in Fig. 7 is different from that of Fig. 6 only in that it is a different class lever. However, in this embodiment, the counterweight arm 69, since it is pivoted near the upper surface of the pickup arm 1, requires a much smaller slot in the arm. Moreover, since the shift of the pickup arm is in the same direction as that of the counterweight, the weight may be reduced to obtain the same effect as a heavier weight in the embodiment of Fig. 6.

Having thus described my invention in three embodiments thereof, I am aware that numerous and extensive departures may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus of the class described comprising a pickup arm, transducer means having a plurality of needles extending therefrom associated with said arm, means to associate said transducer pivotally with said pickup arm, a slider mechanism, said slider mechanism comprising a resilient member, and a rigid member, said resilient member being fixed to said rigid member and extending outward therefrom, means by which said rigid member is slidably anchored to said pickup arm, said resilient member. being movably engaged with said transducer means and ducer, f means -shifted lfenmovement of said slider mechanism relative'tosaidipickup -a'rm to cause said needles to -be extended-alternately. Y

2. In a 'phonograph -apparatus including fa pickup'arm, `a transducer-carried by said arm, a plurality of lneedles VextendingV from Asaid v'trans- `to 'associate said transducer `pivotally wit'h` 'said pickup arm,v a slider mechanismf slidably anchored tof' said pickup arm 1in vmovable engagement withY the transducen said fs'lider mechanism 'including a counterweight memben'said' rcounterweight member being; movable Y'with said slider mechanism, said `movenfrent heir-ig'v 'effective tei-alterV ,the position of the-ien- "gagement of *sai-d slider mechanism with l V`said :transducerwherebyfsaid Itransducer is tilted, said movement-"also Lbeing effective to 'shift "sai-d counterweight whereby Vthe pressure ony `said transducer changed. f

3. Apparatus'of "the" class described comprising a pickup arm, a transducer, means to connect said transducer pivotally with said pickup arm, said transducer being pivoted on an axis located between its ends, slider mechanism slidably disposed on said pickup arm and having an extension resiliently engaging said transducer, said slider being slidable between a plurality of positions, said extension being thereby carried slidably across said transducer to engage said transducer on opposite sides of said axis whereby said transducer is moved to a plurality of positions.

4. In a phonograph having a base and a pickup arm mounting post on said base, in combination, a pickup arm, means connecting said arm pivotally to said post on a horizontal pivot axis, a transducer movably mounted on said arm on a. pivotal axis located between the ends of said transducer, slider mechanism slidably engaged with said pickup arm and having a resilient ringer engaging said transducer, said slider mechanism being slidable relative to said arm to a plurality of positions, said inger being carried across said transducer to opposite sides of said transducer, but remaining in spring pressed engagement therewith whereby said transducer is moved to a plurality of positions.

5. In a phonograph having a base and a pickup arm mounting post on said base; in combination, a pickup arm, means connecting said arm pivotally to said post on a horizontal pivot axis, a transducer movably mounted on said arm on a pivotal axis located between the ends of said transducer, slider mechanism slidably engaged with said pickup arm and having a resilient finger engaging said transducer, said slider mechanism being slidably relative to said arm to a plurality of positions, said finger being carried across said transducer to opposite sides of said axis of said transducer, but remaining in spring pressed engagement therewith whereby said transducer is moved to a plurality of positions, and counterweight means in connection with said slider mechanism and being movable with respect to said horizontal pivot axis of said arm as said slider is moved, whereby the center'of gravity. of said arm is moved with respect to said horizontal axis.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 in which a lever means is pivotally attached to the pickup arm and is connected to the slider mechanism whereby said lever means is effective to operate said slider mechanism.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 in which a lever mechanism is pivotally attached tothe pickup arm and connected to the slider mechanism,

counterweight means on said lever mechanism adapted to be moved therewith, movement of said counterweight and said lever mechanism beine,r eective to slide said slider mechanism.

8.1To apparatus of claim 3 in which the slider mechanism is pivotally connected to a mounting post, a counterweight on said pickup arm,

.movement of said pickuparm relative to said slider mechanism thereby being eiective to shift said extension over said transducer and to shift -the center of gravity of said pickup arm relative to the pivotal connection at the mounting post. 9. The apparatus of claim in which the slider lmechanism `is Vpivotally mounted on a mounting post, lever means pivotally attached to said pickup arm and connected to said slider mechanism, movement of said lever means being thereby effective to slide said pickup arm relative to said slider mechanism to cause said transducer to be moved to its plurality of positions. Y

10. The apparatus of claim 9 in whicha counterweight is mounted on said lever means to shift thecenter of gravity of said pickup arm relative to said mounting post.

Y JAMES E. VISTAIN, JR.v

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:`

l UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 842,897 Macdonald Feb. 5, .1907 Y ,874,973 Macdonald Dec. 31, 1907 Y 1,034,387 v Jetter July 20, 1912 .11,067,530 i Y Lindstrom July 15, 1913 1,132,092 t Hesselius Mar. 16,1915 1,992,893 n Thomas Feb. 26, 1935 2,113,401 Goldsmith Apr. 5, 1938 2,326,625 Di Toro Aug. 10, 1943 2,410,607 Moore Nov. 5, 1946 Di Ghilini Aug.f3, 1948 

